All about glass

This project is the recipient of the Grand Prix du Design,
2017 for a residential space under 1,600 sq. ft.

It started with wood, then came concrete, and now it’s all about glass. The most recent Maison & Objet international trade fair in Paris has confirmed this direction. Simplicity, restraint and elegance reign supreme, while transparency encourages a calm, meditative state. From a design standpoint, objects are trending ethereal, and furniture is going pure geometric. But in architecture, glass is making a bigger splash, breaking down one by one the barriers that separate us from nature.

Glass has always held architects in its thrall. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson used it to create iconic structures, but today’s designers have so many more options. This home, by firm Daoust Lestage, is a perfect example.

For this cantilevered house with green roof and canopy, Daoust Lestage imagined a translucent cage that appears to float. A steel frame supports the triple-glazed glass for the ultimate in beauty and efficiency. Outside, as soon as it is light, the glass panels (by Ombra Façade) reflect the surrounding landscape and maintain the privacy of those indoors. When night falls, the glass shell seems to rise from a carpet of vegetation, an impression that is heightened by the flat roof covered by the same native plants found on the property.

Inside, glass curtain walls provide a magnificent view of the surroundings, immersing the occupants in nature. This magnificently designed home clearly proves just how dazzling transparency can be!